Revised NCAA Transfer Portal Offers Another Huge Challenge for Belichick
By David Glenn
Thanks to the NCAA’s creation of the transfer portal in 2018, then the organization’s revolutionary 2021 rule change that allowed first-time transfers to be immediately eligible at their new school, the manner in which college football teams are built and sustained has changed dramatically.
During the 2024-25 school year, more than 4,900 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) players entered their names in the NCAA transfer portal, in another record-setting year for player movement.
Adding talent is only part of wisely managing the transfer portal era, though. Coaches now spend countless hours — and sometimes big dollars — trying to keep their own top talent, too.
About a year ago, brand-new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick — hired on Dec. 11, 2025 — received a passing grade for how he and his staff managed the outgoing transfer portal. (The same group’s performance with the incoming transfer portal ultimately earned a failing grade during a 4-8 campaign.)
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick checks his tablet during a break in the action during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
In the midst of the transition from Mack Brown to Belichick, more than two dozen Tar Heels entered their names in the transfer portal. However, a handful of contributors (e.g., offensive lineman Austin Blaske, wide receiver Kobe Paysour) changed their minds and decided to remain in Chapel Hill for the opening of the Belichick Era, and a large majority of those who followed through with their departures weren’t going to be able to help the 2025 Heels anyway.
In the end, only three Carolina players left UNC, then became full-time starters for other Power Four programs: kicker Noah Burnette (Notre Dame), linebacker Amare Campbell (Penn State) and left tackle Howard Sampson (Texas Tech).
Burnette started for the 10-2 Fighting Irish. Campbell led the 6-6 Nittany Lions with 96 regular-season tackles and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. Sampson, a Texas native, was a third-team All-Big 12 honoree for the 12-1 Red Raiders, who are the #4 seed in this year’s College Football Playoff.
Those UNC departures certainly weren’t helpful, but they weren’t necessarily devastating, either. Marshall transfer Rece Verhoff handled the 2025 Tar Heels’ kicking duties quite well. Carolina’s linebackers may have been the squad’s top position group, led by a pair of transfers who ultimately received honorable mention All-ACC honors, Khmori House (Washington) and Andrew Simpson (Boise State).
The NCAA’s transfer framework is much different this year — there is only one portal window (Jan. 2-16) in this year’s cycle, instead of the previous December and April (post-spring practice) dual editions — so it remains to be seen how well (or poorly) the Tar Heels will fare this time, but so far Belichick and his staff once again are losing mainly players (please see updated list below) who appeared highly unlikely to help the Heels in 2026.
The exceptions this time (so far) begin with House, who led UNC with 78 tackles this season and still has two years of college eligibility remaining. They continue with #1 tight end Jake Johnson, but with backup quarterback Max Johnson (Jake’s older brother) entering the portal, that development seemed unavoidable. They also include some young backups (e.g., edge rusher Tyler Thompson) who may have grown into starting roles for the Tar Heels next season.
Moving forward, one thing for UNC fans to keep in mind is that every departing player opens a scholarship for an incoming player. After recent rule changes, the NCAA allows 105-man rosters in football (regardless of scholarship status), and Belichick signed 39 newcomers earlier this month in a high school recruiting class ranked #12 nationally by ESPN.
It’s not yet clear how many roster spots — and how much revenue-sharing and Name-Image-Likeness money — the Tar Heels will have available for incoming transfers, who can’t begin official, direct communications with their suitors and (if desired) set up campus visits until Jan. 2 at the earliest.
In the meantime, though, it’s extremely important for Carolina to retain its other top players (e.g., sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp, freshman running back Demon June, junior defensive end Melkart Abou Jaoude, junior defensive tackle CJ Mims, junior cornerback Kaleb Cost, sophomore cornerback Jaiden Patterson), while perhaps preparing for another spending spree in January.
UNC PLAYERS IN 2025-26 PORTAL
Multi-Year Starters/All-ACC Honorees
LB Khmori House, Jr. (starter; HM All-ACC; team-leading 78 tackles; ex-Washington)
Part-Time Starters
OT William Boone, r-Jr. (3 UNC starts before injury; 6-6, 340 pounds; ex-juco/Prairie View)
OT Trevyon Green, r-Sr. (left team 2025; 13 starts in 2024; 6-7, 340 pounds)
TE Jake Johnson, r-Sr. (primary 2025 TE; 6 career starts, 43 catches, 402 yards, 5 TDs at A&M/UNC)
QB Max Johnson, Gr. (24 career starts at LSU/A&M/UNC; 540-890 passing, 6,355 yards, 49 TD, 13 INT)
Contributing Reserves
WR Chris Culliver, Sr. (2025 backup; 12 career catches, 276 yards, 3 TDs)
RB Davion Gause, Jr. (2025 backup; 128 career carries, 585 yards, 7 TDs)
WR/PR Javarius Green, r-So. (2025 backup; 14 career catches, 162 yards)
OT Miles McVay, r-Jr. (2025 backup; 6-6, 350 pounds; ex-Alabama)
DE Tyler Thompson, r-Jr. (2025 backup; 32 career tackles, 8.5 TFL, 7 sacks)
S Malcolm Ziglar, Jr. (2025 backup; 13 career tackles, 1 INT)
Others
WR Paul Billups II, r-So. (career reserve)
CB Khalil Conley, r-So. (2025 backup)
WR Aziah Johnson, r-So. (left team 2025; ex-Michigan State)
OL Jani Norwood, r-So. (career reserve)
WR Jason Robinson Jr., r-So. (DNP 2025; 2024 redshirt at Washington)
TE Yasir Smith, r-Fr. (2025 redshirt)
WR Kenedy Uzoma, r-Fr. (2025 redshirt)
DB Ty White, r-So. (career reserve)
NOTE1: Eligibility listed is for the upcoming (2026) season.
NOTE2: Players cannot officially enter the NCAA transfer portal (and begin direct communication with other schools, etc.) until the Jan. 2-16 window, but they can announce their intent to transfer at any time.
David Glenn (DavidGlennShow.com, @DavidGlennShow) is an award-winning author, broadcaster, editor, entrepreneur, publisher, speaker, writer and university lecturer (now at UNC Wilmington) who has covered sports in North Carolina since 1987.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
